• University of Tennessee, B.S., 1976
• University of Tennessee, J.D., 1980

In addition, he is a former President of the Tennessee Bar Association and has served on the TBA's Executive Committee for a number of years. As president of the TBA, he implemented the successful "Leadership Law" program and continues to be involved in its programming. He also established "Lawyers Care" and successfully recruited lawyers to do more pro bono work in the state. During the year, TBA membership reached all-time highs.

He currently serves as the Chair of the ABA Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section (TIPS). Formerly, he held four officer level roles in the Section and was a member of the TIPS Council. He was the first editor of TortSource and was the chairperson of the committee that created the successful TIPS Leadership Academy. In addition, he has held membership on several standing committees of the American Bar Association and now serves on the ALI-ABA Board. Likewise, he is a member of the ABA House of Delegates representing the Tennessee Bar Association. Previously, he held two officer level positions in the ABA Young Lawyers Division and was the editor of the Division's Barrister magazine. Mr. Tarpley is a member of the Nashville, Tennessee and American Bar Foundations.

John R. Tarpley, a Lewis Thomason shareholder, has been involved in complex litigation in the areas of tort, transportation, product liability, professional liability, commercial law, construction defect and casualty defense, and a wide range of insurance-related matters in both state and federal courts. His product liability work includes the representation of manufacturers of automobiles, heavy equipment, appliances and power tools, as well as significant experience in asbestos defense.

Mr. Tarpley has also successfully defended a number of trucking companies and their employees, both at trial and in the mediation of claims. Further, he has represented employers, managing underwriters, third-party administrators and insurance companies in litigation concerning a wide variety of ERISA issues.

Mr. Tarpley has been certified as a general civil mediator by the Alternative Dispute Resolution Commission of the Tennessee Supreme Court. An increasing percentage of his practice is now committed to mediation of civil/commercial matters.

$320.00 per hour